Are you finished yet?

Grab My Button look right of the page

One must begin to ever finish. Isn't that the truest statement you ever heard? I suggest you begin at the beginning;the first feeling you felt inspired by.  A look on a persons face, a sunrise, a shadow at midday, an ocean view in all of its magnificence. Remember the feeling upon awaking to the dawn on a new day;you will pull from this feeling to finish your work. 

The feeling is fleeting so you must work swiftly.  I know I am holding my feeling if my cigarette burns in the ashtray.  This means I have set my tone correctly; color values are harmonizing, my brush strokes are precise and I am accomplishing what I set forth to do. I usually listen to music that matches the feeling it helps keep me in that frame of mind.

 "Do some great work, Son!  Don't try to paint good landscapes.  Try to paint canvases that will show how interesting landscape looks to you ... your pleasure in the thing. Wit.

There are lots of people who can make sweet colors, nice tones, nice shapes of landscape, all done in nice broad and intelligent-looking brushwork.

self-portrait-or-desperate-man-gustave-courbet

Courbet showed in every work what a man he was, what a head and heart he had. 

Every student should put down in some form or other his findings. .... What he leaves is so much for others to use as stones to step on or stones to avoid. " Robert Henri - The Art Spirit

( Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (10 June 1819–31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. ...) 

Remember this and then enough said for the day. "If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you're right." P. Cunard

Me and a Deadman been Talking ...

 ... and we decided that sometimes its just not the right time to create.  There are days when you hold the brush in your hand, aim toward the canvas and you just know you are fixing to make a mess of things. You stroke your brush against the canvas and realize your colors are muddy and look nothing at all like your mind projected. You are aiming for a bright sun shinny day and dark clouds appear.  Lay the brush down.  Walk outside take a look at the sky and follow down to the horizon.  Touch a trees bark and feel the way it grows. Smell a flower inhaling all it is meant to be. Read a passage from your favorite artist.

" Out of it all what is good will survive and be known later;what is bad or negligible will pass and we shall have lived." Robert Henri, The Art Spirit

enough said today ... I'm headed for a walk through nature.

"Don't Worry About Rejections ..."

Yes, I am back to Robert Henri today and just read a statement from his book using the word "rejections" ... plural "rejections". What a way to start a day huh?

"Don't worry about rejections.  Everybody that's good has gone through it.  Don't let it matter if your works are not "accepted" at once.  The better or more personal you are the less likely they are of acceptance.  Just remember that the object of painting pictures is not simply to get them in exhibitions.  It is all very fine to have your pictures hung, but you are painting for yourself, not for the jury." Robert Henri, The Art Spirit.

I say when you are rejected, "Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience."  Happy painting ya'll.

I Hate to Blow My Own Horn but ... Beep - Beep!

Lemons to Lemoande- Pam Hartfield

 Ah, the sweet taste of lemonade.  I was late going to bed night before last and happened to glance at my phone, saw I had an "@mention" on twitter. I opened it and to my surprise I had been re-blogged! Some of you might think that would have been a little scary but trust me I was ecstatic! Thomas Rice at aaacoms.com has a blog where he writes about other blogs worth mentioning (that's me, toot-toot) and I fell in very good company with the Bloggers he has on his list. Take a look at his page and check out some of the things he has going on. Click on this direct link to see what he writes about.
P.H. Originals Journal of an Artist 

An artist lives hoping some one will discover their works and I don't mind admitting, "I am no exception."  Re-blog me all you want as long as you use my stuff with taste and don't degrade me or the contents of my page.  I believe in God, Family and Country so do not use me or my things to promote junk without morals ...  " If you do I will haunt you til the end of the earth."

Happy creating everyone and thanks again to Thomas Rice @aaacomsdotcom on twitter.

Re-runs and Last Year's News

image from google search

I am so sick of hearing Last Year's News, they have been telling it over and over again since Dec. 30 and this weekend is just awful for it.  OMG, and the re-runs! I am sick of them as well. Makes for a very boring blog when you have nothing new to say.  I mean really, how many times do I need to see all the bloops and blobs of every TV and Movie personality?  I didn't really care the first time I heard them.  Why in the world would I care the second time around?  Do you hear me TV Programmers? In case you didn't, "I DON'T CARE!"

Hopefully, we can all put last year behind us really soon and move on to new challenges for a better new year.  I for one hope to get back in my studio and paint up a storm. (or at least something controversial)

Good luck to all you artist out there and let's move on to the new year.  Find your Muse and get creating.